November 15, 2018

The Boys in the Cave is the definitive account of the dramatic story that gripped the world: the miracle rescue of twelve boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave miles underground for nearly three weeks—a pulse-pounding page-turner by award-winning ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman. Matt covered the story intensively, going deep inside the caves himself, interviewing dozens of rescuers, experts, and eye-witnesses around the world. This book tells little-known facts about the rescue like how the boys survived by licking condensation off of the cave walls and how four Thai pump workers were marooned and rescued a little over a week before this incident. You don't want to miss this heart-pumping look into the rescue that made the world stop in their tracks and cheer as the boys were finally rescued.

November 8, 2018

On this episode of Editors Unedited, William Morrow Executive Editor Rachel Kahan places an international call to her author Balli Kaur Jaswal. Since Rachel is based in New York and Balli in Singapore, they had to time a phone call that would work well with their twelve-hour time difference. Balli starts off the interview talking to Rachel about her last novel,Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick. In this book, we get to know Nikki, the daughter of Indian immigrants, who impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community. Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up to take the course are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories.

In The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, we meet the British-born Punjabi Shergill sisters—Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirnia. They were never close and barely got along growing up, and now as adults, have grown even further apart. On her deathbed, their mother voices one last wish: that her daughters will make a pilgrimage together to the Golden Temple in Amritsar to carry out her final rites. Arriving in India, these sisters will make unexpected discoveries about themselves, their mother, and their lives—and learn the real story behind the trip Rajni took with their Mother long ago—a momentous journey that resulted in Mum never being able to return to India again.

Powerful, emotionally evocative, and wonderfully atmospheric, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters is a charming and thoughtful story that illuminates the bonds of family, sisterhood, and heritage that tether us despite our differences. Funny and heartbreaking, it is a reminder of the truly important things we must treasure in our lives.

November 6, 2018

Patricia Harman's Once a Midwife follows Patience Murphy. Patience has a young family with her new husband Daniel and a thriving practice as a midwife in her beloved Appalachian town. But Patience and Daniel's happy existence is thrown into chaos when the U.S. enters World War II. Daniel, a staunch pacifist after fighting in World War I, refuses to serve as a soldier again. When he's called in to fight, Daniel dodges the draft and ends up imprisoned during a brutal and difficult winter. Alone and struggling, Patience must support their family and fight for her husband's release, all the while continuing her midwifery practice in one of the most tumultuous times in U.S. history.

Today, we welcome a guest post by Patricia Harman!

***

When we first moved to our farm near rural Spencer, West Virginia in the 1970's, we were a bunch of rag-tag hippies bent on saving the world from war, racism, sexism, capitalism, the depletion of natural resources, and just about every other evil we could think of. Our goal was nothing short of revolutionary. We wanted to find a way to live simply on the earth as a non-violent community and to do whatever we could to help a region known for its poverty.

I wasn’t a midwife or an author then, but I was almost a children’s librarian. Off and on for years in Spencer I was the story lady on Wednesday afternoons. Partly, I just enjoyed reading aloud. Partly, I love kids. Partly, I wanted to encourage children to care about books the way I do.

It was books that showed us how to survive: Living the Good Life by Helen and Scott Nearing, Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe, The Owner-Built Home by Ken Kern, The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening by Rodale Press.

It was books that taught us to care about others; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

And it was books, on winter evenings, reading aloud to our kids by kerosene light, that gave us comfort in troubled times: Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder,A Wrinkle in Time by MadeleineL’Engle, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

And where did all these books come from? In Spencer, there was no bookstore on Main Street and no online bookseller, either—because there was no “on-line.”

It was the local library.

And where did we meet with other hippie homesteaders when we had our potlucks to discuss the natural food co-op that we’d started?

It was in the basement of the local library.

And where did I teach the first natural childbirth classes in the county?

You guessed it—sitting in a circle of folding chairs at the local library.

Community center, repository of knowledge, fountain of inspiration, home of children’s programs…in every city and small town, we need such sanctuaries. As a former “story lady,” I remind everyone to celebrate and protect your library and remember to thank a librarian today!

November 2, 2018

“Year of Wonder is an absolute treat—the most enlightening way to be guided through the year.”—Eddie Redmayne

Year of Wonder introduces readers to one piece of music each day of the year, artfully selected from across genres, time periods, and composers. Clemency Burton-Hill offers short introductions to contextualize each piece, and makes the music come alive in modern and playful ways. From Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Puccini to George Gershwin, Clara Schumann, Philip Glass, Duke Ellington, and many remarkable yet often overlooked voices, Burton-Hill takes us on a dazzling journey through our most treasured musical landscape.

Classical music has a reputation for being stuffy, boring, and largely inaccessible, but Burton-Hill is here to change that. She is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and musician with a deep love of the art form, wanting everyone to feel welcome at the classical party. As she says, “The only requirements for enjoying classical music are open ears and an open mind.”

"I can't help that my music shows who I am in this moment, what I'm drawn to, what I'm wondering about. I don't want to help it. What you hear in the words, what you feel in those songs—that's what I was feeling when I wrote them. I want you to see me, just like I want to see you."—Justin Timberlake

In Hindsight, Justin Timberlake has moved from triple threat to quadruple threat, creating a characteristically dynamic experience, one that combines an intimate, remarkable collection of anecdotes, reflections, and observations on his life and work. The book includes hundreds of candid images from his personal archives that range from his early years to the present day, in locations around the world, both on and off the stage.

Justin discusses many aspects of his childhood, including his very early love of music and the inspiration behind many of his hit songs and albums. He also reflects on who he is, examining what makes him tick, speaking candidly about fatherhood, family, close relationships, struggles, and his search to find an inner calm and strength.

Everyone is excited to read about Justin's creative process. People Magazine covered his book jacket reveal, linking to his Instagram post with over one million likes! To see spreads from this gorgeous book, check out the Edelweiss page and watch a video Justin posted on Instagram below.

Justin was also interviewed last night by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. Check out the video below:

Congrats, Justin! Be sure to check out Hindsight by Justin Timberlake, available now!

November 1, 2018

Sarah McCoy's Marilla of Green Gables is a bold, heartfelt tale of life at Green Gables...before Anne. A marvelously entertaining and moving historical novel, set in rural Prince Edward Island in the nineteenth century, that imagines the young life of spinster Marilla Cuthbert, and the choices that will open her life to the possibility of heartbreak—and unimaginable greatness. Based on the beloved characters from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.

On Monday, Sarah McCoy visited the HarperCollins office in New York. If you missed our conversation on Facebook Live, you can watch the video here. In our live video, we reference our podcast interview with Sarah that we recorded during ALA Annual in New Orleans. In this interview, we talk to Sarah about her time spent on Prince Edward Island, researching and getting to know L.M. Montgomery's family. This is a must-listen interview that delves deep into her writing process for Marilla of Green Gables. Be sure to take a listen below!

We ended a perfect Green Gables-filled day with a hug! Be sure to check out Marilla of Green Gables, available now!

Fall is here, the air is crisp, and the reads are plentiful. We've curated a list of upcoming books for which we think you'll fall head over heels. We hope once you land back on your feet, you'll let us know what you think and cast your votes for LibraryReads!

We've also put together a helpful guide to voting for LibraryReads on Edelweiss, available as a podcast, video, and handout!

We hope you find these resources helpful! Remember: be heard, vote early and often, and if you have questions, email us!

***

Freefall by Jessica Berry For fans of: Sunburn by Laura Lippman and The Wife by Alafair BurkeA propulsive debut novel with the intensity of Luckiest Girl Alive and Before the Fall, about a young woman determined to survive and a mother determined to find her."Most debut thriller writers would be happy to have one amazing story to tell. Jessica Barry’s come up with two, and the way she weaves them together will have you on the edge of your seat. Freefall is an electric mix of action and emotional drama that never stops, never slows down." —Liv Constantine, national bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

99 Percent Mine by Sally ThorneFor fans of: One Plus One by Jojo MoyesReaders and critics alike raved over Sally Thorne’s smash hit debut novel, The Hating Game—which sold in over 20 countries. Now she’s back with an unforgettable romantic comedy about a twin sister and brother struggling over an inheritance—and the sexy best friend who comes between them.Praise for The Hating Game: "A brilliant, biting, hilarious new voice. The Hating Game will take the rom-com world by storm. One of the best I’ve read, ever." —Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That

The Dakota Winters by Tom BarbashFor fans of: Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan and The Nix by Nathan HillAn evocative and wildly absorbing novel about the Winters, a family living in New York City’s famed Dakota apartment building in the year leading up to John Lennon’s assassination."Punctuated by clever dialogue and crisp social critiques, Barbash’s incisive, funny, and poignant portrait of talented people and a city in flux illuminates the risks of celebrity and the struggle to become one’s true self." —Booklist review

No Exit by Taylor AdamsFor fans of: Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes and Pretty Girls by Karin SlaughterA brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath."No Exit is everything I want in a thriller: ingeniously crafted, unapologetically relentless, and shamelessly suspenseful. The twists go off like a series of expertly planted detonations and the tension never lets up. I was blown away. No Exit is a damn good time." —Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman

The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. ChakrabortyFor fans of: Uprooted by Naomi Novik and The Golem and the Jinni by Helene WeckerS. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brass—"the best adult fantasy I’ve read since The Name of the Wind"(#1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir)—conjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic, where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom."Chakraborty raises the tension and the stakes with emotional dilemmas that bring out the best and worst in these conflicted characters. This intriguing fantasy series appears to be well on its way to an exciting conclusion." —Publishers Weekly review

The Night Agent by Matthew QuirkFor fans of: Agent in Place by Mark Greaney and Need to Know by Karen ClevelandTo save America from a catastrophic betrayal, an idealistic young FBI agent must stop a Russian mole in the White House in this exhilarating political thriller reminiscent of the early novels of John Grisham and David Baldacci."The Night Agent rocks. Fast as hell, especially with Quirk’s steady hand in control. This story is impossible to put out of mind once you enter this look-over-your-shoulder shadow world. Relevant and revealing, this is one of the best thrillers to come along in years." —Michael Connelly

The Eulogist by Terry GambleFor fans of: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and The House Girl by Tara ConklinFrom the author of The Water Dancers and Good Family,an exquisitely crafted novel, set in Ohio in the decades leading to the Civil War, that illuminates the immigrant experience, the injustice of slavery, and the debts human beings owe to one another, witnessed through the endeavors of one Irish-American family."In the Givens siblings, Terry Gamble has created a vivid and fierce-souled trio who navigate some of the strongest crosscurrents of American history. This is an inventive, spirited, and captivating story." —Jessica Shattuck, New York Times bestselling author of The Women in the Castle

Late in the Day by Tessa HadleyFor fans of: The Burning Girl by Claire Messud and The Mandibles by Lionel ShriverThe lives of two close-knit couples are irrevocably changed by an untimely death in the latest from Tessa Hadley, the acclaimed novelist and short story master who "recruits admirers with each book" (Hilary Mantel)."Riveting.... A four-person character study—here as always, Hadley is a master of interpersonal dynamics—the novel captures the complexity of loss."—Kirkus Reviews review

Learning to See by Elise HooperFor fans of: Georgia by Dawn Tripp and Circling the Sun by Paula McLainIn this amazing new novel by the author of The Other Alcott, we see the world of Dorothea Lange, creator of the most iconic photographs of twentieth-century America, wife, mother, lover, and truth teller."A powerful and timely view of America told through the lens of Dorothea Lange, a fascinating woman whose photographs shone a light on the nation’s forgotten and abandoned.... Detailed and thoroughly immersive, Learning to See grips the reader and highlights an important period in American history." —Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana

The Gownby Jennifer RobsonFor fans of: Kiss Carlo by Adriana TrigianiFrom the internationally bestselling author of Somewhere in France comes an enthralling historical novel about one of the most famous wedding dresses of the twentieth century—Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown—and the fascinating women who made it."Jennifer Robson embroiders life, friendship, and hope into the somber gray world of post-war London.... The Gown is marvelous and moving, a vivid portrait of female self-reliance in a world racked by the cost of war." —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network

The Last Romanticsby Tara ConklinFor fans of: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin and The Interestings by Meg WolitzerThe New York Timesbestselling author ofThe House Girl explores the lives of four siblings in this ambitious and absorbing novel in the vein of Ann Patchett's Commonwealth.Praise for The House Girl:"Assured and arresting.... You cannot put it down." —The Chicago Tribune

The Huntressby Kate QuinnFor fans of: The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck and The Nightingale by Kristin HannahFrom the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Alice Network, comes another fascinating historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America."The Huntress left me breathless with delight.... Kate Quinn has created nothing less than a masterpiece of historical fiction." —Jennifer Robson, bestselling author of Goodnight from London

Little Faith by Nickolas ButlerFor fans of: History of Wolves by Emily FridlundIn this moving new novel from the celebrated author of Shotgun Lovesongs and The Hearts of Men, a Wisconsin family grapples with the power and limitations of faith when one of their own falls under the influence of a radical church. "A beautifully realized meditation on the nature of parenting and living in a perplexing (and often cruel) world. Enthusiastically recommended for parents and fans of literary fiction." —Library Journal review

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf RumFor fans of: Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao and The Leavers by Lisa KoThree generations of Palestinian-American women in contemporary Brooklyn are torn between individual desire and the strict mores of traditional Arab culture in this powerful, heartbreaking and hopeful debut novel—an emotionally resonant and culturally relevant story of love, secrets, courage, and duty that speaks to the lives and experiences of all women today, giving voice to the silenced and agency to the oppressed."The daughter of Brooklyn Palestinian immigrants, Rum was often told 'a woman is no man.' Overcoming her fear of community reprisal, she alchemizes that limiting warning into a celebration of 'the strength and power of our women.'" —Booklist

October 24, 2018

In Heirloom Kitchen, Anna Francese Gass, a regular contributing editor at Food52.com and contributing writer for msn.com, brings together the stories and dishes of forty strong, exceptional women—all immigrants to the United States—whose heirloom recipes have helped shape the landscape of American food. On the latest podcast episode of Editors Unedited, Anna sat down with her editor at Harper Design, Cristina Garces, to discuss Heirloom Kitchen.

Born in Italy, Anna Francese Gass came to the United States as a young child and grew up eating her mother’s Italian cooking. But when this professional cook realized she did not know how to make her family’s beloved meatballs—a recipe that existed only in her mother’s memory—Anna embarked on a project to record and preserve her mother’s recipes for generations to come.

In addition to her recipes, Anna’s mother shared stories from her life in Italy that her daughter had never heard before, fascinating tales that whetted Anna’s appetite to learn more. So, Anna began reaching out to her friends whose mothers were also immigrants, and soon she was cooking with dozens of women who were eager to share their unique memories and the foods of their homelands.

Accented with 175 photographs, including food shots, old family photographs, and ephemera of the cooks’ first years in America—such as Soon’s recipe book pristinely handwritten in Korean or the measuring cup Anke tucked into her suitcase before leaving Germany—Heirloom Kitchen is a testament to female empowerment and strength, perseverance, diversity, and inclusivity. It is a warm and inspiring reminder that the story of immigrant food is, at its core, a story of America.

Be sure to check out Anna's website for a sneak peek at some of these recipes (YUM!) and listen to our latest episode of Editors Unedited to hear more about the inspiring women in Heirloom Kitchen, out on April 9, 2019.

The grand finale episode of The Great American Read aired on PBS on Tuesday (10/23), counting down America’s 100 favorite novels and, after more than 4 million votes, To Kill a Mockingbird was named America’s best-loved novel! The finale was part of an eight-episode series that explored and celebrated the power of reading; you can watch it here.

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

October 23, 2018

Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famous Anne of Green Gables series, Marilla of Green Gables illuminates the early life of one of the most beloved women in 20th century literature, Marilla Cuthbert. We first meet Marilla Cuthbert as a spinster, running a farm in rural Prince Edward Island with her unmarried brother, Matthew. Who was she as a young woman? Why did she never marry? Marilla's early life was only hinted at, until now. Anne fans will finally get to hear Marilla's story: why she fought with her beau, John Blythe, why she stayed at Green Gables with her brother, and ultimately, how Marilla and Matthew decided to take in a red-headed orphan that would change their lives forever. Sarah McCoy brings it into full flower with this marvelously entertaining and moving novel.

Check out some of the rave reviews!

“Another girl once came of age at Green Gables. Spunky, smart, buffeted by tides of duty and ambition, loss and love, young Marilla finds her voice in Sarah McCoy’s beautiful rendering of a beloved place, a complex woman, and a long-ago time. Deftly and tenderly told, Marilla of Green Gables is a must read for anyone who adored Avonlea and Anne and ever wondered, what came before?”—Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

“L.M. Montgomery’s Marilla Cuthbert flares to life in Sarah McCoy’s enchanting novel of Avonlea. Her story of wrenching family sacrifice and the enduring pleasures of home, is as much a love letter to the world of Green Gables as it is a breath of fresh air. Hats off to McCoy for enlivening this classic with such heart and grace.”—Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin

Be sure to check out our interview with Sarah McCoy on our podcast, below!

In celebration of this wonderful day, the Library Love Fest team brought in a birthday cake for Marilla, joined by a few book friends.

October 16, 2018

When asked about her favorite new Fall books on the Today Show, Ann Patchett—New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth—picked Kevin Wilson's Baby, You're Gonna Be Mine. She exclaimed: “Hands down my favorite book of the year...It should win the Pulitzer!” WOW! What a recommendation! Watch the full video here!

Kevin Wilson's first story collection in nearly a decade, Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine, combines his signature quirkiness with his keen eye for emotional complexity to explore the fraught relationship between parents and children.

“Wildfire Johnny” is the story of a man who discovers a magic razor that allows him to travel back in time. And “Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine,” the title story, is about a narcissistic rock star who moves back home during a rough patch. The stories all build on each other in strange and remarkable ways, showcasing Wilson’s crackling wit and big heart.

Filled with imagination, humor, and wit, Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine is an exuberant collection of captivating and charmingly bizarre stories that promise to burrow their way into your heart and soul.

Check out some more rave (and starred!) reviews that this book has received:

“Saying it’s as good as Tunneling to the Center of the Earth doesn’t do it justice....Wilson never moralizes, much less sensationalizes, any predicament he sketches; rather he makes us feel and wonder at the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”—Booklist review

October 12, 2018

Juliet Grames—Associate Publisher at Soho Press—has written a stunning debut novel, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, about a young woman telling the story behind two elderly sisters’ estrangement, unraveling family secrets stretching back a century and across the Atlantic to early twentieth-century Italy.

For Stella Fortuna, death has always been a part of life. Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents—moments when ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted.

In present-day Connecticut, one family member tells this heartrending story, determined to understand the persisting rift between the elderly Stella and her sister, Tina. A richly told debut, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a tale of family transgressions as ancient and twisted as the olive branch that could heal them.

The Library Love Fest team recently hosted an event featuring Juliet Grames, who talked about the inspiration behind her novel—the yearning to preserve the memory of her grandmother.

Dear public librarians, important question: do you participate in LibraryReads? If you're unfamiliar with the program, LibraryReads is the monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction. It is a wonderful readers advisory and collection development tool AND any staff at a public library can participate! You can visit their website—www.LibraryReads.org—to learn more!

If you've ever had a question about LibraryReads or how to submit your votes, we have you covered! We've put together a wealth of resources to help. Lainey Mays, library marketing assistant at HarperCollins, traveled to BookOps in Long Island City, NY, to interview Stephanie Anderson, Assistant Director of Selection for BookOps and Chair of the LibraryReads Steering Committee, to discuss LibraryReads and how to vote on Edelweiss. You can watch the walk-through below or listen to the podcast episode. We also put together a handy printable guide, which you can download here.

October 11, 2018

After a practice in June 2018, a Thai soccer coach took a dozen of his young players to explore a famous but flood-prone cave. It was one of the boys’ birthday, but neither he nor the dozen resurfaced. Worried parents and rescuers flocked to the mouth of a cave that seemed to have swallowed the boys without a trace. Ranging in age from eleven to sixteen, the boys were all members of the Wild Boars soccer team. When water unexpectedly inundated the cave, blocking their escape, they retreated deeper inside, taking shelter in a side cavern. While the world feared them dead, the thirteen young souls survived by licking the condensation off the cave’s walls, meditating, and huddling together for warmth.

Matt Gutman, Chief National Correspondent for ABC News, covered the rescue of the Thai soccer team on the ground in Thailand and returned to report on the story behind the story in The Boys in the Cave. Matt covered the story intensively, went deep inside the caves himself, and interviewed dozens of rescuers, experts, and eye-witnesses around the world. The result is this pulse-pounding page-turner that vividly recreates this extraordinary event in all its intensity—and documents the ingenuity and sacrifice it took to succeed.

-The miraculous rescue that was almost fatal: As Gutman reports for the first time, two of the boys nearly died during the rescue. One stopped breathing under sedation multiple times, forcing the divers to cradle him in the mud to keep his airway open. The other nearly died of hypothermia when his rescuer became hopelessly lost in the cave.

-An inside look at the cave with the rescue team: Through exclusive access to the rescuers, Gutman brings readers inside the cave with the divers, detailing what they saw, heard, and smelled as they worked to free the boys.

-The sedation of the boys: For the first time, Gutman details the dangerous sedation of the boys during each of the rescue dives, in which a cocktail of sedatives was used that left the boys comatose.

-The frantic early moments in the cave: Through exclusive reporting from the boys, their parents, and the first search teams on the scene, Gutman details the chaotic initial hours after the boys went missing and the boys’ first terrifying night.

October 9, 2018

In a powerful debut novel, Etaf Rum tells the story of three generations of Palestinian-American women struggling to express their individual desires within the confines of their Arab culture in the wake of shocking intimate violence in their community—a story that is both culturally specific and one that resonates with the universal female experiences of silencing and shame.

Set in an America at once foreign to many and staggeringly close at hand, A Woman Is No Man is a story of culture and honor, secrets and betrayals, love and violence. It is an intimate glimpse into a controlling and closed cultural world, and a universal tale about family and the ways silence and shame can destroy those we have sworn to protect.

This is such a heartfelt story that needs to be heard. We are so excited to share a wonderful letter from the author.

***

Dear Reader,

When I started writing A Woman Is No Man, I was constantly swallowed by fear. Telling this story meant challenging many long-held beliefs in my community and violating our code of silence. I thought, Who am I to say this? Who am I to tell this story? Surely I’ll only upset people and fuel further discrimination against a community that’s already stereotyped by a single story. It would be the ultimate shame.

Most of all I was afraid of disappointing my community if I didn’t filter my own experiences. I knew that as long as I stayed away from controversial topics like arranged marriages and domestic abuse, no one would criticize me or call me a traitor. No one would shun me. No one would try to hurt me. Perhaps these fears are why there aren’t many Arab-American women on bookshelves, why, whenever I search for our stories in bookstores and libraries, I cannot find them.

But censoring myself out of fear would have resulted in a story that didn’t reflect the realities of my world. A story that carefully nudged problems and discriminations aside so as not to upset anyone. A story that was filtered, safe, uncontroversial. But most of all, a story with a voice that was inauthentic.

In my many moments of fear and uncertainty while writing this book, I searched for inspiration from brave women like Maya Angelou and Malala Yousafzai and Audre Lorde. I pushed myself to keep writing until I finally understood Lorde when she said, “Your silence will not protect you.” It is through these women’s courage that I wrote A Woman Is No Man.

Growing up, I was taught that there were limits to what women could do in society. Whenever I expressed a desire to step outside the prescribed path of marriage and motherhood, I was reminded over and over again: a woman is no man. And yet later I realized this was also my strength: I began to see the ways the women around me were unique from men in their ability to juggle the demands of culture, family, relationships, and parenting. Though I refuse to turn away from the deeply complicated and sometimes dark aspects of traditional Arab culture, what I hope people from both inside and outside my community see when they read this novel is the strength and resiliency of our women.

Sincerely,

Etaf Rum

***

Be sure to download an egalley of A Woman Is No Man, coming out March 5, 2019. Also be sure to check out Etaf's beautiful Instagram account—@booksandbeans.

It's here, it's finally here! November Road, the latest novel from Lou Berney, is on sale today! If you haven't yet read this propulsive and masterful crime thriller from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone, now is the time. Set against the assassination of JFK and following a young mother, her two daughters, and a desperate mob lieutenant on the run across America, November Road delivers the most complete and absorbing reading experience you'll have all year. This is THE breakout novel of the fall. Just check out the FOUR starred reviews below!

"Berney’s gentle, descriptive writing brilliantly reflects these times of both disillusionment and hope." —KirkusReviews review

"Edgar-winner Berney (The Long and Faraway Gone) takes a familiar plot in unexpected directions in this moving novel.... This is much more than just another conspiracy thriller." —Publishers Weekly review

"With depth and genre crossover appeal, this literary crime thriller will please fans of Dennis Lehane or George Pelecanos and also satisfy a wider audience." —Library Journal review

"Berney bends his notes exquisitely, playing with the melody, building his marvelously rich characters while making us commit completely to the love story, even though we hear the melancholy refrain and see the noir cloud lurking in the sky. Pitch-perfect fiction." —Booklist review

If you'd like to learn more about the story behind this novel, I sat down with Lou for an interview at ALA Annual in New Orleans (where the novel partially takes place!) Give it a listen below! You can also read Lou's superb behind-the-book essay here.

September 25, 2018

Red Lipstick is a celebration and exploration of the enduring power and allure of the world's most iconic shade. Written by widely published beauty writer Rachel Felder, Red Lipstick is a beautifully designed gem that will delight lipstick lovers of all ages. This gorgeous book is jam-packed with informative, entertaining text, little-known facts, quotes, and more than 100 gorgeous images culled from fine art, photography, as well as beauty and fashion editorial and advertising.

On our newest episode of Editors Unedited on the Library Love Fest Podcast, editor Elizabeth Sullivan interviews author Rachel Felder. They discuss Rachel's writing process, curating the images for the book, and how they both bonded over their love of wearing red lipstick.

In celebration of the famously vibrant lip shade, we put together a few interesting facts from Red Lipstick.

• Red lipstick was adopted as a part of the suffragette’s de facto uniform.Cosmetics entrepreneur Elizabeth Arden not only supported women’s right to vote, but she also strongly aligned herself with it. When the suffragettes staged a large protest march down New York City’s Fifth Avenue past her salon in 1912, Arden and her team handed them red lipstick, a bit like marathon supporters who stand roadside, fortifying tired runners by offering them cups of water. The following year, on March 3, 1913, when nearly five thousand women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, they wore red lipstick too.

• For her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned a bespoke lipstick hue.It was a custom-mixed deep Bordeaux to coordinate with the Robe of State. The shade was known as Balmoral, a nod to the Scottish castle where the royal family spends the holidays. With an everyday palette of lipsticks that includes her tried-and-true red—although pinks have come to dominate as her color of choice as she has grown older—the Queen’s love of lipstick is clear.

•Actresses from the 1930s and 1940s wore red lipstick on-screen, even when playing roles in period films where it wasn’t historically correct. In the 1930s and 1940s, red lipstick was very much a part of the fashion and beauty sensibility, infusing glamour into women’s everyday look, whether they were full-time housewives or part of the expanding workforce. Crimson-lipped actresses helped fuel that cultural ubiquity, as they favored wearing red lipstick on-screen, even when playing roles in period films where it wasn’t historically correct. When Vivien Leigh played Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, she wore perfectly applied red lipstick, even though the story is set during the American Civil War.

• Makeup of the geisha includes an especially heightened take on red lipstick.Traditional and uncompromising, the makeup of the geisha includes an especially heightened take on red lipstick, pairing vivid matte crimson lips with a highly whitened complexion. Today, many geishas add a final step to the lip application process by dipping a small brush into the slightly molten interior of a small piece of hard candy, using the fluid, sugary center as a sealant.

September 13, 2018

You voted, they counted, and the winners have been announced. We are excited to share that November Road by Lou Berney and Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver have been selected for the October LibraryReads list! A huge congratulations to all the titles on the list! See the full list here.

November Road by Lou Berney: Set against the assassination of JFK, a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America—a story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances from the multiple award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone. Click here to request the egalley on Edelweiss.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver: The New York Times bestselling author of Flight Behavior, The Lacuna, and The Poisonwood Bible and recipient of numerous literary awards—including the National Humanities Medal, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Orange Prize—returns with a timely novel that interweaves past and present to explore the human capacity for resiliency and compassion in times of great upheaval. Click here to request the egalley on Edelweiss.

Thanks to all who participated and submitted votes for the October LibraryReads list! Be sure to submit your votes for the November LibraryReads list by September 20th. You can see our recommendations here. Click here to learn more about LibraryReads.